add-deltachat
The add-deltachat skill installs a native DeltaChat channel adapter that communicates directly with the @deltachat/stdio-rpc-server JSON-RPC subprocess to enable email-based messaging with Autocrypt/OpenPGP encryption. Use this when integrating Claude with DeltaChat for secure, decentralized email communication without relying on the Chat SDK bridge. Installation requires copying adapter files, appending an import to the channels barrel, pinning the @deltachat/stdio-rpc-server dependency, and validating with build and integration tests before configuring account credentials.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw /tmp/add-deltachat && cp -r /tmp/add-deltachat/.claude/skills/add-deltachat ~/.claude/skills/add-deltachatSKILL.md
# Add DeltaChat Channel
The adapter drives the `@deltachat/stdio-rpc-server` JSON-RPC subprocess directly — pure Node.js against the DeltaChat core library. Messages are delivered over email with Autocrypt/OpenPGP encryption.
## Install
### Pre-flight (idempotent)
Skip to **Credentials** if all of these are already in place:
- `src/channels/deltachat.ts` exists
- `src/channels/deltachat-registration.test.ts` exists
- `src/channels/index.ts` contains `import './deltachat.js';`
- `@deltachat/stdio-rpc-server` is listed in `package.json` dependencies
Otherwise continue. Every step below is safe to re-run.
### 1. Fetch the channels branch
```bash
git fetch origin channels
```
### 2. Copy the adapter and its registration test
```bash
git show origin/channels:src/channels/deltachat.ts > src/channels/deltachat.ts
git show origin/channels:src/channels/deltachat-registration.test.ts > src/channels/deltachat-registration.test.ts
```
### 3. Append the self-registration import
Append to `src/channels/index.ts` (skip if already present):
```typescript
import './deltachat.js';
```
### 4. Install the adapter package (pinned)
```bash
pnpm install @deltachat/stdio-rpc-server@2.49.0
```
### 5. Build and validate
```bash
pnpm run build
pnpm exec vitest run src/channels/deltachat-registration.test.ts
```
Both must be clean before proceeding. `deltachat-registration.test.ts` is the one integration test: it imports the real channel barrel and asserts the registry contains `deltachat`. It goes red if the `import './deltachat.js';` line is deleted or drifts, if the barrel fails to evaluate (so the channel genuinely would not register), or if `@deltachat/stdio-rpc-server` isn't installed (the import throws) — so it also implicitly verifies the dependency from step 4. Importing is safe: deltachat instantiates the rpc client only in `setup()` (at host startup), never at import.
End-to-end message delivery against a real email account is verified manually once the service is running — see Wiring and Troubleshooting.
## Account Setup
A dedicated email account is strongly recommended — it will accumulate DeltaChat-formatted messages and store encryption keys. Not all providers work well with DeltaChat; check https://providers.delta.chat/ before picking one.
**Default security modes:** IMAP uses SSL/TLS (port 993), SMTP uses STARTTLS (port 587). Both are configurable via `.env` — see Credentials below.
To find the correct hostnames for a domain:
```bash
node -e "require('dns').resolveMx('example.com', (e,r) => console.log(r))"
```
Most providers publish their IMAP/SMTP hostnames in their help docs under "manual setup" or "IMAP access."
## Credentials
Add to `.env`:
```bash
DC_EMAIL=bot@example.com
DC_PASSWORD=your-app-password
DC_IMAP_HOST=imap.example.com
DC_IMAP_PORT=993
DC_IMAP_SECURITY=1 # 1=SSL/TLS (default), 2=STARTTLS, 3=plain
DC_SMTP_HOST=smtp.example.com
DC_SMTP_PORT=587
DC_SMTP_SECURITY=2 # 2=STARTTLS (default), 1=SSL/TLS, 3=plain
```
Security settings are applied on every startup, so changing them in `.env` and restarting takes effect without wiping the account.
Sync to container: `mkdir -p data/env && cp .env data/env/env`
### Optional settings
The following are read from the process environment (not `.env`). To override them, add `Environment=` lines to the systemd service unit or your launchd plist:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `DC_ACCOUNT_DIR` | `dc-account` | Directory for DeltaChat account data (IMAP state, keys, blobs) |
| `DC_DISPLAY_NAME` | `NanoClaw` | Bot display name shown in DeltaChat |
| `DC_AVATAR_PATH` | _(none)_ | Absolute path to avatar image; set at startup only |
The `/set-avatar` command (send an image with that caption) is the easiest way to set the avatar at runtime without modifying the service file. Only users with `owner` or global `admin` role can use it.
### Restart
Run from your NanoClaw project root:
```bash
source setup/lib/install-slug.sh
# Linux
systemctl --user restart $(systemd_unit)
# macOS
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/$(launchd_label)
```
On first start the adapter configures the email account (IMAP/SMTP credentials, calls `configure()`). Subsequent starts skip straight to `startIo()`. Account data is stored in `dc-account/` in the project root (or your `DC_ACCOUNT_DIR`).
## Wiring
### DMs
**DeltaChat contacts cannot be added by email alone** — to start a chat, the user must open the bot's invite link in their DeltaChat app or scan its QR code. This triggers the SecureJoin handshake.
#### Step 1 — Get the invite link
After the service starts, the adapter logs the invite URL and writes a QR SVG:
```bash
grep "invite link" logs/nanoclaw.log | tail -1
# url field contains the https://i.delta.chat/... invite link
# also written to dc-account/invite-qr.svg (or $DC_ACCOUNT_DIR/invite-qr.svg)
```
The invite URL is stable (tied to the bot's email and encryption keys) so it stays valid across restarts.
#### Step 2 — Add the bot in DeltaChat
Two options for the user to connect:
- **Link**: Copy the `https://i.delta.chat/...` URL and open it on the device running DeltaChat. The app recognises it and shows a "Start chat" prompt.
- **QR code**: Open `dc-account/invite-qr.svg` in a browser or image viewer, display it on screen, and scan it from the DeltaChat app using the QR-scan button on the new-chat screen.
After accepting, DeltaChat exchanges keys and creates the chat automatically.
#### Step 3 — Wire the chat to an agent
Once the first message arrives the router auto-creates a `messaging_groups` row. Look up the chat ID:
```bash
pnpm exec tsx scripts/q.ts data/v2.db \
"SELECT platform_id, name FROM messaging_groups WHERE channel_type='deltachat' AND is_group=0 ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 5"
```
Then run `/init-first-agent` — it creates the agent group, grants the user owner access, and wires the messaging group in one step:
```bash
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